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Ulysses S. Grant, 4 days before his death, July 19, 1885
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Dear Bookclub,
An intimate evening to discuss Mark Perry's fascinating "Grant and Twain: The Story of an American Friendship" seemed appropriate as our enthusiasm for the book was shared mightily between Kim, Diane and I.
My Youtube share of Hal Holbrook impersonating Twain on the the family room big screen, inspired by Diane's tech-shares of meetings past, was startling in the frank content regarding man's 'intellect', (hardly evolved):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_rTMNnxwSE
I remember enjoying his many recordings over the years and Diane shared that she had seen him perform at the Escondido Performing Arts Center many years ago.
More reminiscing from Kim and I about visiting Twain's home in Hartford, CT fired up my desire to return with new appreciation after reading Perry's book. Twain's brilliant mind and zest for life, reflected in the home's unique character, emphasized the spark introduced to Grant's situation. Being a catalyst in the writing and publishing of Grant's memoirs, Twain's similarities and differences to Grant, deftly illustrated by Perry, carried much of the book. The role of slavery in American society and the actions and attitudes from both of these prominent men could fill yet another book.
Grant's failing health, compounded by the inadequate medical care available at the time, also astounded us as he was able to continue writing and inspiring family, friends and the country. Check out "The Knick" for elaboration on this point:
Karen enlightened us about a wonderful 3-part mini-series on the History Channel,"Grant":
Finally, in keeping with the evening's theme, planning food from the era presented a challenge. Influenced by a fabulous audio of "Twain's Feast", my ideas were sidetracked and I ended up honoring the happy fig trees in my orchard and baking a fresh fig cake.
I highly recommend listening to this ...especially fun while mired in Thanksgiving kitchen prep:
"In this audio adaptation based on Andrew Beahrs' book, the food writer
searches for "lost foods of America." The print work was inspired by
Mark Twain, who once made a list of the American foods he missed most
while traveling at length in Europe. This production pares down Twain's
list of favorite foods into a unique eight-course meal that narrator
Nick Offerman makes sound real. Following in Twain's footsteps, chef
Tyler Anderson seeks out and prepares nineteenth-century American
delicacies such as prairie hen, raccoon, and Philadelphia terrapin.
Dinner guests--Twain scholars and entertainers--provide lively dialogue
on the food and on themes related to American history and identity.
Offerman's deep, resonant voice and dry narration are perfectly suited
to Twain's witty anecdotes. "
https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/150796/twains-feast-by-andrew-beahrs-audible-originals-ed-read-by-nick-offerman/
The feasters got permission to use Mark Twain's house for the event. Pretty cool.
Our upcoming read for December is Kate Atkinson's "Festive Spirits".
Up next:
Happy reading,
LK
